The Chase
by Keiko Yuki
Summary: Even with the dark lord gone, Harry doesn't trust Draco at all. Harry decides to follow him on a night that Draco leaves the safehouse but upon finding him something happens that changes everything. In a new place where all they have is each other to rely
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Chase  
Author: Keiko Yuki  
Series: Harry Potter  
Rating: M  
Pairings: Harry/Draco  
Warnings: Yaoi/ Slash/ M/M…in future chappies  
Author's Notes: Ummm, I don't own Harry Potter. I do happen to own a pair of shoes and a scrunchie...  
Summary: Even with the dark lord gone, Harry doesn't trust Draco at all. Harry decides to follow him on a night that Draco leaves the safehouse but upon finding him something happens that changes everything. In a new place where all they have is each other to rely on, only one question remains: Can Harry finally learn to trust Draco?

* * *

Eerily luminous silver eyes flashed at him angrily as they sat in the darkness. Harry couldn't see the cloaked figure through the inky blackness, but he could tell that his companion was trying to keep himself warm.

Harry could not find the right words to say. The events of tonight had transpired so quickly that he was still trying to comprehend what exactly had happened. The memories of the night were hazy to him and he had no desire to understand their situation. One minute he had been chasing his nemesis into the night and the next they'd been transported to this dark and dreary... place.

"I hope you're satisfied Potter," Malfoy spat out. His anger eating away at what little pride Harry possessed.

Harry stared helplessly into those raging silver depths and all he wanted to do was Apparate out of this place. His overactive imagination fooled him into seeing red in Draco's eyes. And as the venom in Malfoy's words ate away at his heart, he thought desperately to himself. _How could all of this have happened?_ Harry felt like crying again, not because he was scared, but out of frustration. He had really fucked up this time. And to think that it had all started only a week ago...

---Flashback---

"Harry," a voice called to him from behind the door of his bedroom. He knew who it was, but he did not want to answer the door. He had felt the greatest sense of betrayal from Dumbledore. The man who was supposed to help him, and he'd been betrayed by one of the few people he ever truly cared about.

"Go away," Harry muttered weakly as he sat at the edge of his bed. He knew that Remus would continue to badger him regardless of his requests for him to leave him alone.

"Now Harry; do try to be reasonable. He needs to be protected and taken care of." Lupin's gentle voice was soothing and Harry almost gave in to the false sense of security laced cleverly within that soothing voice.

Harry shook his head, waving off the spell in Lupin's voice (no pun intended). "I refuse to come out." Harry then threw himself onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow.

Harry was well aware he was acting like a child. Lupin and the rest of the Aurors were quite right with their logic. But it didn't mean that Harry had to agree with their reasoning. The defeat of Voldemort was a hard-won battle but Harry knew that the fight was not over. They had missed one Horcrux and that meant that the Dark Lord could still rise.

Again, the logic in this matter was agreeable to say the least. It had taken Voldemort thirteen years to regain his body and they had time to find the last Horcrux before then. Harry remembered pointing out the fact that Voldemort could easily move like he had with his first seventh of soul and find a host. Tonks had claimed that he would not be able to leave because of his weakness and the protections around the soul. With this point made, Harry shut his mouth and agreed with them.

In _this_ case though. It was not as simple as black and white. He couldn't trust the decision they had made this time. The decision to move to a new secure hideout was agreeable. The decision to start a night patrol to ward off the remaining death eaters was fine. Even choosing Hermione as their secret keeper was somewhat agreeable!

But this...

"Draco will be here shortly. As a member of the Order, I feel that your presence is necessary."

Harry mentally groaned. The name Draco made his stomach clench and his mouth go dry. His eyes burned with anger and unshed tears as he swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. "I told you already!" He shouted heatedly toward the door that had been magically sealed but could easily be opened by the wizard beyond it.

Harry respected Remus Lupin and trusted that he would not barge in unless Harry was dying or something...

The sound of the door banging open contradicted his thoughts and Harry lifted his head from his pillow in outrage. Standing in the doorway was a young man with shockingly red hair and blue eyes (both of which was the norm in his family). It was not only surprising that Harry was now staring at his best friend in his brutally forced open doorway, but the anger that was burning in Ron's eyes.

"Stop being such a prat Harry!" Ron bellowed and waved his wand wildly. Lupin shrunk in the background while dodging the frantically waving wand.

Harry sat up in his bed and his eyes, darkened with hatred and anger, narrowed dangerously. "What the hell is wrong with you Ron!" Harry's fists clenched in his sheets so tightly he was beginning to lose circulation in his fingers.

Ron ignored the question and waved his wand again, effectively dispelling the piles of neglected clothing on the floor and carelessly thrown books. He stomped angrily toward Harry's bed and looked down at him from his tall frame. His face was red and he did not hold himself back as he began to yell at his best friend once more.

"Just give it up Harry! We're supposed to be HELPING PEOPLE!" Ron only paused to gather his breath, "JUST SUCK IT UP AND BE A MAN! SO WHAT IF DRACO SHOWS UP! HE NEEDS OUR HELP, DAMMIT!"

Harry's face grew red with anger, though not as impressively as Ron's. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU DON'T EVEN _LIKE_ HIM! YOU HATE HIM AS MUCH AS I DO!"

Ron's face changed to a less vicious facade as he leaned toward Harry. Their eyes met and Harry stared at him with anger while Ron's eyes were calm. "That is where you're wrong Harry. He may have done some things wrong in the past b-"

"_SOME_ THINGS? RON! HE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!" Harry's eyes filled with tears but they did not fall.

"Harry, he didn't-" Remus spoke gently and soothingly but Harry shook his head wildly.

"HE DID! I SAW WITH MY OWN EYES!"

Ron looked sympathetic, "he didn't _speak_ the curse Harry."

"He might as well have," Harry muttered dejectedly. He stared at his hands, they were white from the clenching motions they'd made. He let go of the sheets only to find the movement painful. He winced as blood flowed back uninhibited into his white fingers. He watched them turn a more healthy, rosy color and wished blood would flow through Dumbledore's veins as well. The tears poured gently from his dark green eyes and dropped onto his folded legs.

Ron sat next to him and pulled him into a friendly hug about the shoulders. "It's alright mate," he rubbed Harry's shoulder gently.

"No, it's not!" Harry pulled away suddenly and his eyes remained pained and swimming in sorrowful pools of salt-water.

"He's here to help us." Ron spoke softly and pleadingly, he wanted his friend to stop his foolishness, to become the person he once had been, to smile and be optimistic again.

"No," Harry clutched at his hair and shook his head.

"Yes," Lupin said and kneeled at the edge of the bed in front of Harry.

"How do you know?" His voice was weak with sadness and pain. "How do you know he won't turn his back on us like Snape!" Harry waved away the hands of Lupin, who had moved to pat him comfortingly. He stood up and gestured toward the window. "How do you know he won't lead his _friends_ over here to kill us all?"

"Harry, you know the only person who can disclose our location is Ms. Granger." Lupin's voice was firm.

"I will not trust him." Harry spoke through clenched teeth. His voice was venomous and his eyes were ablaze with a passionate hatred he'd reserved for only three people yet.

"We cannot help that mate," Ron said. "But we're asking you to be civil. For all of our sakes." Ron looked distantly to Hermione's room across the hall. "You know Harry, Hermione wanted me to tell you that she loves you and wants you to stay safe." Ron's light eyes clouded with tears as he continued. "She said that she trusted anything the Order tells us and she wanted us to do the same. She said that even if she wasn't ever going to wake up, she would do it all over again."

Harry's tears began anew as his thoughts focused solely on his best friend. As keeper, she was to make sure she would never disclose the information entrusted with her. She had decided to be put into a magic-induced coma until the war was over. Ron, who had been and always will be in love with her pleaded for her to reconsider. When she refused to do anything different, Ron proposed marriage to her and she happily accepted. She'd promised them she'd wake up, but now they weren't so sure.

Even now, with Lord Voldemort dead and gone (for now at least), his followers continued to ravage wizarding and muggle communities alike. Their safety still wasn't guaranteed and so Hermione was left in her dormant state until the day that the death eaters posed no more threats. She now lay motionless in her room with Madam Pomfrey attending to her needs.

"Remus! He's here!" The voice of Nymphadora Tonks called from the lower levels of the house, effectively distracting them from their conversation and thought-processes.

Ron and Lupin shared a look and stood up without a word to Harry. It was completely up to the Boy-Who-Lived whether he would come down to see their guest or not.

Harry hadn't come down for two days after that.

---End of Flashback---

They were now sitting in an oppressing and extremely uncomfortable silence. Harry could hear waves lapping against cold stone and it reminded him of his last venture with Dumbledore. Harry's eyes hardened at the memory of the man who had left him to conquer Voldemort alone. Left him to face his fears and see his friends' deaths...

Draco wrapped his cloak more securely around himself, trying to trap what little heat he was generating. Now his enemy was sitting here right next to him and he felt more miserable than he'd ever felt in his life. He had promised Lupin and the weasel that he would try to trust Potter and look where it had landed them. Harry had noticed two days into Draco's stay that he had been sneaking out of his room and leaving the safehouse for unknown reasons. Harry, who had immediately become suspicious, took it upon himself to investigate further into the mystery that was Draco Malfoy.

Draco's father had died at the hands of Voldemort himself. None were absolutely sure why, but Draco said that he had wronged him in a way that was unforgiveable. Draco's mother had disappeared and left him behind to fend for himself. Having never truly been granted the privilege of being properly named a death eater, Draco was abandoned because of his parents' foolishness. Both worlds denied him and he was forced to turn to his once enemy.

Draco clutched at his knees, desperately trying to warm himself. His wand had snapped clean in half when potter had thrown himself upon him when he'd left to make his usual rounds at the underground meetings.

Draco scoffed to himself as he thought of the werewolf who had insisted he befriend Potter. He had tried to be civil, but the raven-haired wizard would have none of it. He had decided to give up the act and behave like he normally did. As normal he could be under the circumstances, anyway.

Draco looked up and noticed that Potter had been staring at him. "What?" He spat toward him, his voice tainted with deep disgust.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he searched for a good come-back but found none. This situation would not be helped by him arguing with his...he wasn't even sure what Draco was to him. He wasn't even sure if he was the enemy or an ally.

Harry shook his head and stared without emotion into Draco's challenging gaze. He realized had no pride anymore and so he took a deep breath and turned to Malfoy. "I know this won't help anything." He paused to make sure that Malfoy was listening and at his glare, he continued bitterly. "I apologize for what happened." Harry almost choked on the words.

Draco scoffed again and turned his head to gaze at the starry sky. "You know Potter," he said wistfully. "I always wanted to know what it was like..." Draco trailed off, as if realizing for the first time that Harry was there and quickly shut his mouth.

When Harry was about to question him Draco stood abruptly. "Tell me you still have your wand Potter." His voice was dripping with sarcasm and frustration.

Harry moved his hand to search through his robes for the wand he'd had for eight years. He didn't find it but he didn't remember dropping it when he had tackled Malfoy outside a suspicious-looking building secreted away underground. He winced at the memory of having waited for nearly two hours in the dark and waiting for Malfoy to pass him so he could tackle him to the ground. Harry mentally reprimanded himself for being so stupid. They'd fought for a mere three seconds before they touched what Harry had already assumed to be a portkey.

"Sorry," Harry's tone was not apologetic, however.

"Ugh, can't take you anywhere Potter." Harry found Draco's statement quite odd, seeing as Draco had never taken him anywhere.

"It has to be around here somewhere," Harry said as he moved to his hands and knees, feeling the dark ground for his wand. When he grew tired of crawling around without help, he sat on his knees. He could feel Draco staring at him and spoke without looking at him. "Why don't you help me instead of just watching?"

Draco placed his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes, though Potter couldn't see it. "It was not I who got us trapped in this mess! It's your fault we're even here!"

"It's _your_ fault I can't trust you!" Harry retorted as he stood up to glare straight into Draco's luminous eyes.

"Oh dear, you've broken me." Draco said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest for good measure and held Harry's gaze. "At least I have enough pride and honor to TRY and put our differences aside for our cause!"

"_OUR_ CAUSE?" Harry was livid and his face was red with unveiled anger.

"Yes Potter! OUR cause! Everyone of the Order believes me but you!" Draco gave in to his desire to let his opinions fly. "If you weren't so busy STALKING ME you would know that _LUPIN_ was the one sending me out every night!"

Harry took a step back in shock. It was true he had been following Draco when he left the house every night, and it was also true he hadn't spoken to Remus in a while. Harry stayed quiet. Everything he thought to say sounded stupid and unimportant to him. Everything he could have said only proved to condemn him even further.

"See, Potter? I was right, wasn't I?" Draco sounded pompous and he smirked triumphantly at Harry.

Not able to withstand the smug look on Draco's face, he tackled him to the ground in his anger. He raised a fist to pound his smug face in but stopped himself inches away from Draco's face. Even from their closeness Harry could barely see his face, but though the light from the stars were dim, he could make out his features. His eyes swept over the pointed chin and nose, the almond shaped silver-gray eyes, the thin lips that were etched into a frown, the finely shaped eyebrows that were wrinkled together in confusion... and the purpling bruise under his eye.

Harry's hand opened from a fist and touched the mark he had left, no doubt, from their scuffle earlier. The touch was soft and he pulled away quickly, as if he had been burned from the contact. What the _hell_ was he doing?

At first Draco didn't move at all, and then his eyebrows lifted, one slightly higher than the other. "Now you're going to try to rape me?"

The statement shocked Harry at first, and then it scared him. He jumped up and away from Malfoy as quickly as if he'd landed on a blast-ended screwt. He turned away from Malfoy, hiding his blush by resuming his search for the missing wand. All the while he was cursing a certain blonde haired wizard who really should have been a demon. Harry had momentarily regretted having hurt the boy, but now he wanted to kill him all over again. He knew he couldn't, however, seeing as he would probably need the wizard to get out of this place.

While Harry busied himself by finding the wand, Draco stared out into the inky blackness that was the sky. Upon their arrival Draco had noticed that there had been a full moon and a sky filled with bright stars. Now however, there was no moon, and the stars were disappearing so that there was barely any light at all. If Potter didn't find the wand, they were going to be enveloped in a complete darkness until morning, which, Draco thought with a sinking feeling, may never come.

* * *

A/N:

I don't know why I'm posting this up so soon but I thought that _someone_ would enjoy it _somewhere_. Please review and let me know if you like it or if I should continue or not. Goodness, I said the same thing just a few days ago with _Overworked and Underpaid_, didn't I?

Feedback would be greatly appreciated and if you don't like it, tell me (But please do so in a kind and mature way.) Try my other fics out and see if you like those too! Please and thank you!

-Keiko Yuki


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Chase  
Author: Keiko Yuki  
Series: Harry Potter  
Rating: M  
Pairings: Harry/Draco  
Warnings: Yaoi/ Slash/ M/M…in future chappies  
Author's Notes: Ummm, I don't own Harry Potter. I do happen to own a pair of shoes and a scrunchie...  
Summary: Even with the dark lord gone, Harry doesn't trust Draco at all. Harry decides to follow him on a night that Draco leaves the safehouse but upon finding him something happens that changes everything. Can Harry finally learn to trust Draco?

* * *

Ron smoothed back Hermione's brown hair gently as he watched her sleeping face. Her eyes were unmoving behind her lids and not one flicker of movement could be seen from the comatose witch. Ron could feel a prickling at the corner of his eyes at the thought of her never waking up.

It had been (and still was) the most difficult thing in the world for him to do. His heart ached with longing when he saw her still form on the bed. His visits to her room were far apart and short-lived now that she had been 'sleeping' for over four months. His blue eyes shifted to the dainty hand he held tightly with his own trembling hand. On the ring finger was a simple silver band: their engagement ring.

There was a reason why Hermione was laying in the bed before him in a sleep that was controlled by Madame Pomfrey. He didn't hold scorn for the people that came up with the idea. He really couldn't blame them. He knew that in war there had to be sacrifice. But that knowledge didn't help matters or ease the pain he felt at the moment.

It was difficult to deal with everything that had been going on, especially with an emotionally unbalanced best friend and a comatose fiancée. Malfoy's arrival had sent everything into chaos. Harry was withdrawn and sullen. He didn't want any contact with anyone anymore. It hurt Ron to know that even _he _couldn't ease the pain that was tormenting his best friend. Hermione had wanted for Ron to keep Harry out of trouble and help him finish the war and make sure they survived for their wedding.

A painful smile etched across his face at the thought of Hermione's kindness and humor in such dark times. She was a pain in the arse, but she also knew what she was talking about and when to ease her friend's hearts. Hermione would have known how to make Harry normal again. Ron's heart was heavy with pain and grief. Knowing that his brothers were in danger everyday and that his mother was worried sick, all alone at home and grieving over her husband and only daughter's death.

The smile disappeared as he tried to change his thoughts from falling into dark ones. Everyone had underestimated him from the day they met him. He'd always been set aside as the out-of-place sidekick. He really didn't have any special talent, but he was going to make a difference. He was going to avenge his sister and father's deaths.

Ron stood up and pressed a gentle kiss to Hermione's forehead and squeezed her hand one last time before allowing it to settle against her side once more. He turned and walked through the door without another glance at the sleeping woman.

----

Draco awoke to a loud splashing noise and water hitting his face. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked away the pain from the sun hitting them directly. He looked through narrow eyes at a puddle of water next to his face. The sound of splashing water could still be heard a little ways away but he couldn't see where it was coming from.

Draco sat up and crossed his legs in front of him and wiped a hand across his face. As soon as his hand came in contact with his skin, he winced with pain. A confused look took over his features as he poked at his cheek. His face hurt and he couldn't tell why. As he lowered his hand to place it in his lap, he saw that it was half red. His grey eyes stared at the reddened part before widening with understanding.

Draco Malfoy had gotten sunburn.

Two things occurred to him after this epiphany. One: his suspicions of never seeing daylight again were now void. Secondly: Harry was nowhere to be seen. He first noticed that Harry was not anywhere near his resting place when he'd looked to see if the wizard was laughing at him in a corner of the cave. This would be what Potter would most likely do if he were to catch site of a half-sunburned Draco.

"Potter-?" Draco called into the darkness of the cave and when he received no answer he turned back to the mouth of the cave. He silently cursed his luck. He'd fallen asleep at the mouth of the cave where the sun could get him and sunburn him. And of course, he'd been wearing nothing but black clothes. Now that blasted prat was not only _not _where he was supposed to be, he had also left without his wand. At least this was a fortunate aspect of his morning.

Draco crouched down and picked up the thin wand in his hand and twirled it around with his long fingers. He fought hard to remember the spell to change his skin back to its normal (if not entirely healthy-looking) color. Draco took his cloak off his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to control it. Malfoys looked presentable at all times. No matter the situation.

In a momentary stroke of luck Malfoy remembered the incantation that he needed to get rid of his sunburn. Unfortunately, however, that was also the moment that Potter decided to emerge from wherever he'd been. Malfoy looked up with surprise to see the Boy-Who-Lived soaking wet and dripping all over the floor like a wet dog.

Draco bit back a laugh at the realization that Harry really did look like a wet dog. His usually unruly hair was now flat against his head with the added weight of water. His glasses were in his hand and he was mopping at his face with his other hand. Draco half expected him to shake off the remaining water from his body. He was slightly disappointed when Harry picked up the cloak he'd left on the floor and dried his glasses to put them on, instead. When the wizard put his glasses back on he blinked across the floor to see Draco seated on the floor with half of his body red and the other half pale as paper.

Of course Harry's first reaction was to point and laugh as hard as he could. When he regained his right state of mind he looked amusedly at a thoroughly pissed off Draco Malfoy. He was now standing and his hands were fisted against his hips and one pale hand was holding his wand in a firm grip.

Normally this would be a comical picture, but when if occurred to Harry that Draco had his wand, he immediately saw red. If there was any person in the world who was never _ever_ supposed to touch his wand it was Draco Malfoy. He stomped over to the Slytherin and grabbed for his most valuable possession.

"Give it, Malfoy!"

It is a well-known fact that Harry Potter is two inches taller than Draco Malfoy. It is also fact that Harry was also heavier and physically stronger than Malfoy. Sadly, neither of these truths helped Harry with the retrieval of his wand. Malfoy had efficiently dodged Harry's frontal assault and calmly stepped out of the way. Harry stumbled but recovered quickly. "Malfoy," he said through ground teeth. "Give me my wand back."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who leaves their wand on the floor of a cave when exploring a place they've never been? If that weren't idiotic enough," he continued, obviously enjoying his advantage and the opportunity to chastise Harry. "You _also_ left it in the very same place your worst enemy was. Some savior of the wizarding world." With a flourish, Draco waved the wand over his body and the redness disappeared. He was showing off, naturally, because he knew that Potter hadn't yet completely mastered wordless magic.

"Well well well, don't _you_ feel important?" He responded sarcastically.

"Of course I do, Potter." He said cheekily. "I am a Malfoy."

Harry's blood boiled and he thought of a million different insults to say in response to Draco's self-important banter. But, under speculation (which took all of two seconds) he realized that fighting would get them nowhere, and that they really did need each other in order to leave this place. So, Harry gritted his teeth and swallowed before releasing his anger and frustration in a mighty sigh.

"Now that you've gotten rid of your sunburn _Malfoy_," the other wizard's name felt like acid on his tongue as he fought with himself to remain in control of his anger. "Can you just give me my wand back." Though it sounded like a request, it truly wasn't. Harry was close to knocking the Slytherin out and leaving without him. He was itching to be rid of the snotty pillock and it would've been so easy to just kill him and pretend he'd never seen Malfoy leave the house last night. But he needed to remain calm... even though killing the prat would make his life so much easier.

Harry sighed once more and closed his eyes. "Malfoy, I think I've found a way out. If you give me my wand we can work together to get back to the Order."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed once more and they stared into each other eyes. Both sets of eyes were untrusting and held loathing and hatred. Draco stood there, twirling the wand with his fingers and contemplating. After a few moments, his gaze changed so that it was more calculating than blazing with anger. He tossed the wand into the air and watched as Harry caught it easily.

"You said there was a way out, Potter?"

----

A knock at his door made him glance from the letter on the desk. He stayed silent for a few seconds and the knock appeared again. It was more insistent his time. Lupin sat up in his chair and turned toward the door, the movement sending pain flaring up his back.

"Come in," he called as he folded the letter and placed it in a drawer in the wooden desk.

The door opened to reveal one of the Weasley twins. Lupin smiled and made to stand up and greet them. He was surprised when only the one twin walked through the door and closed it behind him.

"Hello Remus. I'm Fred by the way." Fred looked tired and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was shoulder-length and tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The shorter hair in the front hung limply to frame his handsome face.

Lupin stayed seated and summoned a chair from the corner of the room to sit in front of the twin. Fred muttered a thank you and twirled it so that he straddled the back of it. "George is fine," Fred said as he registered the worried expression on Lupin's face.

Lupin visibly relaxed but his worries were not completely gone. He suspected that his worries would _never_ be completely gone. Especially during this war. With so many students and friends he knew were fighting against the Death Eaters, his fears would never be quelled. "What is it Fred?" Lupin questioned gently.

"Well," Fred began and spied the tray of food on Lupin's desk. With a small smile he summoned the tray of biscuits and stuffed half of one completely in his mouth. Through his mouthful he continued, "Harry and the ferret were spotted outside The Raven last night. Me 'n George were investigating the disappearance of that Auror, Holly Enders?"

Lupin nodded and waved a hand for Fred to continue with his report. "Well, Lav-lav was watching our buddy Malfoy when she saw Harry sneaking around behind him." Fred picked up another biscuit and popped it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "These are really good Remus."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Will you continue, Fred? Spit out what it is you need to tell me." Lupin didn't usually lose his patience with Fred or George but if Harry _and_ Draco were involved, there had to have been serious trouble.

"Fine, already. Lavender called us using one of those muggle phones that 'Mione made us carry and told us what was happening. She was telling us where they were when they suddenly disappeared."

Lupin sat up in his chair with alarm. "They what?"

Fred waved his hands in the air, spilling crumbs all over the floor. "Hey! It wasn't me, okay? Lavender said that they'd had a scuffle and when Harry pinned the ferret-king to the floor, they disappeared."

"Did she check the area for magical traces? A portkey? Apparation?" Lupin inquired quickly.

"Of course she bloody did!" Fred said loudly, both eyebrows raised as he stared incredulously into Lupin's eyes. "What kind of Auror do you think she'd be if she hadn't?"

Lupin didn't say a word in return. He thought upon the information that had already been given to him and now he had more information to put together. This was a never-ending puzzle and he was tired of finding the missing pieces. Lupin pressed his fingers at the bridge of his nose. Why he did this, he did not know, but it was a way to indirectly convey his frustration.

"Well, she found a trace of portkey activation. It makes sense, seeing as how Lav-lav didn't see or detect anyone else in the vicinity." Fred leaned impossibly far backward and cracked his back then swung upwards so fast it made Lupin dizzy.

"Anything else?" The elder wizard questioned wearily.

"Nope, I'd say it was nice seeing you, if not under these circumstances." Fred stood up and patted Lupin's shoulder sympathetically. "I've got to go check on Fred. I'll be seeing you, Remus." As the twin walked toward the door Remus called to him.

"Next time George, if you want to impersonate your brother, do try and remember not to call him by his own name." George grinned cheekily at him and Apparated in a pink puff of smoke. Honestly, leave it up to the twins to take the time to figure out how to leave smoke behind when they Apparated.

----

Harry Potter had committed suicide.

Draco hadn't meant to toss him off his rocker, really. It just wasn't humanly possible for the two to act civilized with each other. No matter how upset he'd made Harry, he hadn't expected for the loon to jump off the cliff.

Malfoy stood rooted to the spot by shock. He hadn't dared look over the rocks to see the dead body splattered and skewered by the sharp rocks below. Harry Potter's death created two problems for him. One: he would never be able to face the wizarding world ever again. And two: Harry had taken the only wand with him to his rocky grave.

He could have had the decency to at least leave the wand with him. Especially since where he was going, he'd have no need for a wand. Draco summoned his courage and peered hesitantly down over the edge and into the deep blue of an ocean. And swimming calmly in the water was none other than Harry Sodding Potter. That Bastard…

"Potter!" Draco shouted downward despite himself.

Harry looked up amusedly at his enemy. The irate expression on the Slytherin's face was well-worth the painful leap into the water below. Harry swam farther out so he could see the Slytherin better. He was crouched at the edge of the cliff and glaring down at him with such a deadly force that his heart rate sped up with a sudden inkling of fear. Harry wasn't intimidated for long though and he whistled up at Malfoy to get his attention.

"Jump, Malfoy!" Harry knew that Malfoy wouldn't jump down into the water and risk bodily injury. Harry also knew that Malfoy had no desire to make the trek down to the water's edge. The terrain was rocky and difficult to navigate. Harry had woken up earlier than Malfoy and began exploring without the other. It was a wise decision on his part: he was able to find the way down uninhibited by a spoiled Malfoy complaining about his hair being messed up or something.

"Are you daft, Potter!" Malfoy shot back at Harry. Draco had no idea how he was going to survive with having to find the way back to the Order's shelter with Harry Potter. Draco dragged a hand down his face and rolled his eyes as he fought with himself. He had two options and neither of them was tempting. He didn't have a wand and all he could see from his spot was the water Potter was swimming in. He couldn't just Apparate into an ocean; he could end up twenty feet under.

Draco sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff and fought to ignore Potter's incessant taunting and jeering. He looked to his left and right, only to find that he was surrounded by rock. There was no path to follow and he wasn't a rock-climber. He'd really hadn't done anything more strenuous than climbing the stairs at Hogwarts. Being rich had definitely made him sheltered and hadn't exactly given him a high endurance.

Malfoy sighed and stood up from his less than comfortable seat. With one last hesitant glance toward his watery grave, he took a few steps back, gulped, ran the rest of the distance, and jumped.

And he screamed all the way down.

It was like the never-ending fall to his untimely death. His heart was lodged in his throat and his arms waved as if doing so would help him with his landing. Not that he needed to worry about that, of course. If the crashing against the water didn't kill him, surely he'd drown before he could claw his way up to the surface.

If he survived this, he vowed that he really _would_ kill Harry Potter.

He silently vowed that all of his empty threats would become real and his hatred for Harry increased tenfold.

When he finally hit the water, it was like a slap to the face. The pain he'd felt from the sunburn this morning was nothing compared to this body-numbing pain. He immediately regretted the decision that prevented him from roughing it out on the rocky path down to the water's edge instead of falling to his death.

Draco's eyes opened under water and he looked through the slightly hazy water toward the surface. He judged that he was about seven feet away from sunlight and oxygen. He hadn't taken a breath before falling (he was too busy screaming and cursing Potter and his relatives) so he was already out of breath. His lungs burned and he didn't feel like he could move his arms, let alone swim seven feet.

Draco was going to die, and he hoped that he could see Harry in Hell…

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A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I thought it was an amusing one to write. Poor Draco... I don't think he'll ever forgive me... I apologize for the shortness, but I usually never update as quickly as I have... I think its only been two days since I posted Ch. 1 Would you rather prompt reviews? Or lengthy ones? Its up to you guys, I can do both... Let me know.

Review responses:

**Fireproof potatoes**- I'm so happy you think so! About the spaces: I have no idea why that happened. On the word file I have this story on, it is fine. When I load it onto the spacing is wonked out. I tried fixing it, but it stays the same! I was ticked off about tha' one… I think some charas will seem out of character and I apologize in advance, but I'll try to be true to the charas as much as I possibly can. Thanks for your nice review! (cool name, btw)

**Cate**- And I'll hold you to that promise! jp… I'm sorry for the confusion. I re-read the first chapter and I realized that it _was_ a bit confusing. I hope this chapter is less… er, confusing….()

**Dracorox418**- thank you! I hope you enjoyed it... I guess that's what you meant by 'not bad' ?

**ILOVDRACO**- I love him too! (giggles to self) NEway, I hope I don't disappoint you. I want this story to come out good. I'm still working on my outlines, so, we'll see what happens, ne?


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Chase  
Author: Keiko Yuki  
Series: Harry Potter  
Rating: M  
Pairings: Harry/Draco  
Warnings: Yaoi/ Slash/ M/M…in future chappies  
Author's Notes: Ummm, I don't own Harry Potter. I do happen to own a pair of shoes and a scrunchie...  
Summary: Even with the dark lord gone, Harry doesn't trust Draco at all. Harry decides to follow him on a night that Draco leaves the safehouse but upon finding him something happens that changes everything. Can Harry finally learn to trust Draco?

A/N: (sighs) here I am, updating again… I'm so glad that people are reviewing! I love you guys! As always, review responses are at the bottom.

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Ron was just getting ready to go out when Remus had called for him. Only slightly bothered, he walked up the steps once more and down the hall to Remus' bedroom. The hall was dark and silent in a way that had once bothered Ron. He longed for the days when the only real fear he'd had was brought upon by those blasted spiders. Now that he was older, his fears had changed to include death, Voldemort, Death Eaters, and the Unforgivables.

He walked down the corridor with long, purposeful strides. He had finally stopped growing when he hit the six-foot four mark and was not as gangly as he had once been. Physical strength, Harry had pointed out, was as important as Magical strength. He remembered the training that Harry had put the members of the DA through. All of the things Harry had been taught by Dumbledore or any of the other teachers was passed through to them. They had spent many nights practicing and strengthening themselves for the war. Ron sighed to himself as he stared straight ahead.

He pushed his memories aside in favor of preparing himself for whatever Remus had to tell him. It sounded urgent, whatever it was, and in the years he'd been in the order, he learned that being prepared for bad news was essential. As he reached the door he noticed that it had been left ajar and, thus, let himself in.

Remus was sitting on his bed in that unnervingly calm manner that practically ensured that there was trouble. His eyes shifted from Lupin to his surroundings. Remus' room had always been plain. In fact, the only sign that anyone even inhabited the space was the mound of papers and books that currently took residence on the desk. Ron glanced back at Lupin with an impatient and calculating look, to which Lupin sighed.

"Harry's missing," He said finally.

Ron felt his eye twitch, he didn't know exactly why. He shook off the twisting in his stomach at the turn his thoughts had taken. Of course, when Harry was involved, thoughts of being captured or dead were the immediate assumptions he'd come up with. He forced himself to remove those thoughts in favor of being logical, a feat he hadn't managed to accomplish until two years of Hermione jumping down his throat.

"We can get Tonks to check around and Malfoy to question within the ring…" One look at Lupin's face told him that that wasn't all the werewolf had had to say. Ron's shoulders slumped and his heart clenched with worry.

"Don't tell me…"

A nod from Lupin was what he got.

"But that's impossible! They couldn't-!"

"They could have," Lupin said as he pressed his fingers to his temples. "But there is hope that they did not get captured."

"How do you know?" Ron asked as his eyebrow rose. "Tell me everything."

"Your brother came to me yesterday," he said as he began to tell Ron exactly what he knew.

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_He was surrounded by a mind-numbing coldness and he didn't know what to do._

_His father was gone, as was his mother. He had no one to protect him. All he had was the shadow of the Dark Mark on his forearm._

Some protection that was_, he thought to himself._

_Speaking had seemed to become a problem for him. His voice had fled from him much as he should have done earlier. When he'd seen the Dark Lord kill his father. What had bothered him the most was the lack of tears he'd shed when his father had fallen to the ground in a lifeless heap on the packed earth of the graveyard._

_In his head he could see his father falling to the ground. A scene from seconds before: when the Dark Lord had crucio'ed his father and reduced him to a writhing mass on the floor. His father was so strong, he'd thought, as he watched in horror. His mask seemed constricting as he grimaced beneath it. His father didn't scream for mercy nor did he call out for help. The lack of screaming had seemed to bother their master and it was painfully obvious. Finally fed up with his 'top minion' and 'traitor' he'd uttered the incantation that would kill him in an instant._

_Avada Kedavra_

_Seconds after his father's body hit the ground, a cold air surrounded him._

_Draco clawed at his face and removed the mask and top half of the robe that he wore. He could hear his mother's outraged scream and Snape's grunts of pain. Any pain he felt was amplified by his guilt. Guilt ate away at his almost non-existent heart. His father was dead and it was his fault. He should have helped him, should have stepped in, should have…_

_The coldness increased as he felt a presence surround him in a tangible cloak. Dementors. He should have known. They touched his back and shoulders as they slowly ate away at his mind and robbed him of all of his happy thoughts. His father fell over and over in his mind's eye. Horrible visions of his mother screaming and Snape writhing on the floor replayed in his shattered mind like a broken record. Snape's pain-filled howls echoed in his ears as he endured torture from Voldemort._

_Screams suddenly filled his ears, real screaming, not the muffled cries from his subconscious brought upon him by the Dementors' power. He looked through half-shut eyes at running Death Eaters and a growling Voldemort. His father's body was being stepped on as people ran for a reason he didn't know of. Draco whirled around in an effort to see what was disturbing the others._

_He smirked wearily. Potter and his friends were coming…_

_He laughed pitifully as he thought to himself bitterly: Out of the frying pan and into the fire._

----

"Malfoy, I swear if you die…" Harry muttered to the still body beside him. He'd been surprised that Malfoy had actually jumped into the water from the cliff. He hadn't expected for Malfoy to be brave enough to do such a thing.

When Malfoy hadn't resurfaced, Harry dove into the water to search for him. Malfoy had been floating seven feet under the water as still as if he was dead. Harry swam as fast as he could toward Malfoy and lifted him up by the arm. He was heavier underwater and their combined weight put a strain on Harry's arms and legs. Malfoy's robes billowed underwater and made it even more difficult to take him back to the shore. Exhausted and out of breath, Harry peeled Draco's robes off of him to reveal his undershirt and trousers.

"Malfoy, don't make me do this." Harry said agitatedly as he looked to see if Malfoy was breathing. He placed an ear over Draco's mouth and found that the Slytherin wasn't breathing at all. "Dammit Malfoy! I have half a mind to leave you here to die!" Harry placed his hand atop Draco's chest to see if his heart was beating at all. With luck, Draco was already dead and Harry wouldn't have to do CPR.

No such luck. Malfoy's heart was beating, albeit rather faintly. Unfortunately, that meant that Harry had to save Malfoy's life and put his mouth on the Slytherin's. Harry closed his eyes as he breathed into Malfoy's mouth and opened them when he moved to push against Draco's chest. He repeated the movements that were almost mechanical to him. He'd had to do this before at Hogwarts when Neville had been dragged under the water by the giant octopus in their last year of Hogwarts.

It was too bad he didn't really like Malfoy, or he would have taken greater care in not pushing too hard against the still boy's chest. It was to pay him back, he convinced himself, for all of the torture he'd been put through since they'd met. He was so busy trying to reason with himself that he didn't notice when the Slytherin began to cough. He pinched Malfoy's nose and leaned down to cover his mouth with his own when a hand slapped across his cheek.

Outraged, Harry bolted backwards and distanced himself to the now conscious blonde. "What the hell-!" He yelled as he nursed his stinging cheek.

Malfoy's finger poked into his chest and the fire in his eyes shut Harry up almost immediately. "What are you on about! _You_ didn't wake up from a nightmare only to find that you were LIVING one! How would _you_ react if you woke up to find me molesting you!"

"That's not-!" Harry sputtered.

"Forget it Potter!" Draco poked him in the chest once more and shifted backwards onto his knees. "I don't know what you're trying to pull," Draco wrapped his arms around his middle in a gesture of self-protection. He turned his face to glare into Harry's eyes, "but I'm not interested."

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock as his retaliation blew straight out of his mind. His mind was having a bit of trouble processing the meaning of what Malfoy had just implied. He was about to correct Malfoy, to explain to him that all he had been doing was saving his worthless life, when said Malfoy stood up and began to walk down the sandy stretch of beach.

"Malfoy!" He called after the retreating figure even though he knew fully well that he wouldn't receive an answer. He stood up in the sand and stumbled as his water-logged shoes slipped around each footfall. He watched with a slight panic as Draco stormed away. True, he detested the Slytherin, but that didn't mean he wanted to be all alone in this foreign place. He'd rather keep his enemy close to him than to face whoever had sent them here alone.

"Malfoy!" He shouted again as he struggled to pull his shoes off his feet. They were keeping him from running and made the most annoying squelching sound as he walked.

Draco's stride did not falter in the least. His steady pace was constant, even after Harry managed to get close enough to speak without yelling.

"Malfoy, I didn't do anything untoward." Harry said honestly.

"Yes well-" Draco paused and looked Harry in the face. His eyes glanced up and down Harry as if to size him up or to make an assessment of his character. Harry was about to question Draco when the Slytherin stepped closer to him.

"Listen Potter," Draco sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Harry didn't know what Draco was about to say, but a strong wind suddenly blew from the direction they had been heading toward. Both boys shut their eyes to shield them from damage by the sand. Harry put a hand up to shield his eyes and peered through narrow eyes as he tried to quickly figure out what they should do.

The wind roared around them as it picked up speed and ferocity. Sand and leaves from the trees ahead blew about them and stung their uncovered skin as they sped around them at unnatural speeds. Harry whipped out his wand and tried to cast a spell to stop the wind or at least put a shield around them, but every time he opened his mouth, sand would pour in and choke him.

He turned his back toward the wind, allowing for most of the impact to hit his back as he fought to think of what to do. He looked around him to the best of his ability and found what he was looking for. There, just in front of them was a large boulder seated next to the wall of the cliff. The rock could provide protection from the sand-storm and they would be relatively safe.

Decision made, he turned toward Draco and shouted through the roar of the wind: "Let's go over there!" He gestured wildly toward the rocks and began to move forward, trying his best to keep his back toward the wind and not losing sight of Draco at the same time.

Harry could tell he'd reached safety when the sand that had been pounding against his back suddenly stopped altogether. It was a tremendous relief and he found himself collapsing onto the ground, barely fitting into the small section that was free of wind and sand. He started when Draco fell on top of him. Apparently he too, had had difficulty pushing through the wind and sand.

But that didn't mean Harry would show sympathy for the blonde.

"Get off me!" He shouted to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, it came out as a hoarse, throaty grumble. He promptly pushed Draco off of him and scooted closer toward the rock. The space was so small they would practically be on top of each other. That was not the part Harry was looking forward to…

----

To say Ron was pissed off was not entirely accurate. To say that Ronald Weasley, youngest brother of the Weasley clan was furious wasn't too close to the truth either. Then again, Ron had always had a bad temper.

His bad temper had managed to place him in one of the very nicely decorated rooms of the cells conveniently placed in the Ministry of Magic. Sitting in a corner of the room, he pondered on what exactly had gone wrong upon his coming to the ministry.

He'd walked in calmly enough, going through the entrance like any normal wizard would. He had a badge for visitors, permission to be in the building, and even had an appointment with the Minister of Magic. He'd waited on the noisy and distracting lift until he'd gotten to the floor he needed and waited for his turn to go into the office of Minister Fudge.

Ron had even been somewhat civil, not making any snide comments on the fact that his last year on his "throne" was almost over and that none other than Luna Lovegood was going to replace him. He'd sat in one of the new poufy chairs that were placed in front of the gleaming desk and politely asked if he could have a few Aurors to help on a missing persons assignment. But when the Minister laughed at him and told him that Aurors did no such thing, he exploded.

Yes, Ron could have been a little nicer. Yes, it hadn't been really necessary to light the Minister's bowler hat on fire, but, at the time, it had felt important that the man new he was entirely serious about his request. There were specific Aurors he wanted, ones that were on the inside of the Order. That way, legally they were doing their job, but also helping Ron's side.

It had been Fudge who had convinced him to quit being an Auror in the first place, and now the man was _still_ driving him up the wall. Nevertheless, he ended up being thrown into one of the cells in a sectioned off part of the building. He silently prayed that anyone, even Mad-Eye Moody, would come to his aid and spring him out so he could go back on the search for his friend.

It seemed that the waiting was going to last forever, until he heard the creaking of an infrequently used door opening.

He looked up with expectant eyes. He hoped it was someone from his side coming to set him free and convince the minister to give him the Aurors he needed and send him on his merry way.

Of course, life had its nasty little habit of screwing people over. Because if there was anyone he didn't want to come through that door, it was Percy Weasley.

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A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but I figured a short update was better than none at all, right? I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out within the next week (and it'll be at least seven pages, I promise). I've got High School and College to juggle plus studying for the SAT's _again_ and my mother's ill… Not to mention all the other crap I gotta do… Well, I'll just get on to those review responses!

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Review Responses:

**Lucycat: **I'm glad I can provide some inspiration to you! I really appreciate your review. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Mooneasterbunny: **nice name. Short and sweet review. Thanks!

**Cate: **well, here it is. Let me know what you thought of it! I'm trying to build up the anticipation so that when something happens it won't seem rushed. I really don't want them to jump into things, you know what I mean? Thanks for the review!

**Fireproofpotatoes: **Your reviews always make me happy. I really enjoy reading your reviews. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. The charas are different because I made them that way and I think that, with age, people change and I wanted to show that change, especially in Ron. You'll notice that Ron has really grown up into quite the young man! Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing!

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read the story and I ask you to review please. I realize that not everyone doesn't want to (or can't) leave a review, but I would really appreciate if you dropped one by. Even if it's short, I just want to make sure that someone cares enough to give me their opinion. Thank you all so very much.


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